Democracy

Graffiti on a wall: This is not democracy

Climate change and democracy: analysing the value of democracy for mitigation and adaptation

Work Package 4 investigates whether and to what extent the factor of a democratic government should influence the distribution of scarce adaption finance. On the one hand, empirical evidence suggests that democratic countries tend to use international bi- and multilateral funding more effective compared to non-democratic countries. Furthermore, democratic countries usually allow for more participation of local people, which is considered important for successful adaptation. On the other hand, people living in non-democratic countries are often especially vulnerable to climate change and do not have the power to influence how they are governed. In a first step, Work Package 4 thus investigates reasons for and against using a “democracy criterion” in the distribution of adaptation finance, also considering critical postcolonial perspectives, and relates it so similar criteria such as “good governance” and “recipient merit”.  In a second step, it examines attempt at operationalising democracy, for example the Varieties of Democracy indices, the World Governance Indicators or the Freedom House Index. The analysis will verify the theory underlying democracy indices, check the validity of the indices’ data base and discuss whether the information provided is sufficiently robust to contribute to guiding the allocation of adaptation finance. Work Package 4 is researched by Alexander Schulan in cooperation with Anna Lührmann and Christian Baatz.